Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-31
OUR WORTHLESS DEFENSES.
Coast Batteries Which Lack Guns. Par
apets, Platforms and Magazines.

The following report OF an engineer officer Of an
inspection Of the batteries on Angel Island, San
Francisco harbor, has been received at the Wal
department and may be taken as sample Of The
decay and uselessness OF our defenses.
"The defenses on Angel Island are usually rated
as consisting Of three batteries namely, Point
Blunt, Point Knox and Point Stewart. There
seems to be no reason why the indescrtbable re-
mains on Point Blunt should be classified as O
battery or defense OF any kind, as it lacks guns,
parapet and Platforms and as its magazine is use
less. The parapet slid of many years ago. The
magazine and platforms are decayed past use OF
thought OF repair. To speak of this battery as un-
Serviceable is to convey an incomplete and inaccu-
rate view. There is nothing here that can cOntri-
butte to defense, while the ruins are an obstacle
ana an inconvenience to occupation.
1t requires photograph to represent the ruins
forms Of Point Knox battery. There are ten guns,
three OF Which are Rodman on front pintle iron
carriages. The remaining seven guns are on wood
blocked up to keep them in condition. The car
r1ages are all OF wood and front pintle. In the
traverse rail timbers, where the dust of decompo-
Slt1On remains, the carriage wheels are sunk, and
where the dust has been blown away the wheels
rest upon the ground. The iron bolts, deserted by
the wood in which they were driven, stand out
eccentrically or otherwise. To traverse the char
riS Is more than impossible; 1t is not conceivable
II is possible to fire all the guns once as they are
now pointed. The result must be conceived to be
final dissolution or all that remains Of the plat
forms and the seven wood carriages.
There are four guns in the Point Stewart battery.
There is no magazine, all elements of de-
tense are absent, from obSOleteness and decay,
beyond the thought OF repair. The description OF
Point Knox battery applies to the effectiveness
here. These batteries have been many times re-
ported as unserviceable. The fact Of continued
inspection and report from time to time may per-
haps be held to indicate that amidst the general
decay, something of defensive value remains This
would be mistake. They contain nothing of use
and are incapable for goOd.'
UNHEEDED REQUESTS.
1t Is stated at the War department
that requests have been made repeatedly
for appropriations for the repair Of these
batteries, but invariably without success.
This is part OF the second line OF defenses OF San
Francisco, Cal. Captain Taylor, OF the ordnance
corps, In letter published In the AHo- California
October 9th, 1885, showed the utter worthlessness
OF the first line. In the whole harbor OF San Fran
cisco he showed, that at that time, and no mate
rial change has been made Since-there were
mounted 40 ten-inch smooth bOres worthless
against armOr-cladS. 16 eight-inch rifles only in
tended as auxiliarieS in the defense OF such har-
bOrs as this, and mounted In such way as to rem
hfteen-tnch guns, whose best work with full
charges) Is only ten inches of armor, and whose
carriages only allow them to fire about half
charges"
In an interview with him to-day Capt. Taylor re-
ferreu the reporter 10 TWO lectures delivered by
him before the military association OF the Pacific
which, he said, would show the helplessness OF
cient to say that with the defenses OF San Fran
cisco as they are one English ron-clad can capture
and hold the city, It's superb narbOr our only navy
yard, and our only arsenal on the Pacific coast"